Feeling disheartened

The shield wall is strong & deep; you can step back as you need to

These childish attempts to disrupt political organising and debate are a sign of weakness. Don’t be disheartened. But it’s good to acknowledge your exhaustion.

I agree, sometimes a break is needed! But the brilliant thing I have noticed about feminists is theres always someone ready to step in and take over, and they just keep getting more and more articulate and intelligent

Every time someone starts a silly thread I turn up the Vagina Anthem. m.youtube.com/watch?v=UPIRfivo4lo

Every time someone starts a silly thread I put an imaginary pound in an imaginary pot for Crowdfunders. Cheers me up no end. Just keep buggering on.

That’s great news Buffy! I haven’t been into town in a year now but I have painted some Women won’t wheesht stones to take in next time I can get there.

Stones is a great idea, thank you

I had this discussion with DH the other day. He is seeing a constant push at his workplace towards stonewall guidance, has colleagues spitting about JKR etc. We spoke about the law change in the US and he said "do you think it will just get to a point where you're tired and the majority has decided this is the way it will be?"
And I thought, no, never. I will never accept the dismantling of women's rights and the erasure of our sex. I don't care what laws are passed it can't change reality. I will continue to talk about it, challenge my MP and support cases to effect change.

Having said that there was a point last year where I did have to take a step back. I was emailing my MP who was busy fence sitting and researching and finding horrific statistics on sexual assaults on women and girls in mixed spaces and it took a toll on me. I have a young daughter and I can't bear her that she'll grow up in that.

Take the time out, regather your strength so you are ready for the next fight.

*mean. I mean mean. Stupid unfortunate autocorrect.

@ArabellaScott

No, you're not. Take heart. Have a and a wee break from time to time. There are plenty of us to take up the slack.

That has cheered me up no end. Such a lovely thing to say and men.

It may not feel like it but we’re getting there.

They got this far by ‘no debate’ and keeping everything very under the radar. The moment we started noticing & dragging it all out into the sunlight, that started to change.

Just think - 10 years ago there was no Fair Play for Women, no WPUK, no Transgender Trend, no Keep Prisons Single Sex, no Keira Bell landmark judgment...

We can do this. We are doing it. We’ll get there.

It is exhausting.

I walked around Edinburgh yesterday and saw so many of the 'women won't wheesht' ribbons. Every time I saw one my heart swelled a little. It helped. There are lots of us out there xx

I've been trying to keep up and my brain feels like a pretzel.

Can't step away because I'm a woman and this issue is important to me and all women, but also am tempted to do so because the over-riding message in the current zeitgeist is that a woman's place is, as always, in the wrong.

If only Eve hadn't bitten that bloody apple......

If a whole generation of young people genuinely think there's no such thing as biological sex I've wasted my career (biology teacher).

But what keeps me going is that they'd have the smug satisfaction of thinking they had won.

They have not. They will not.

Yeah it's all somewhere between exhausting and boring.

Sometimes I am just done with this whole thing. I think, if a whole generation of young people genuinely think that there's no such thing as biological sex; if they are sincerely that goddamn stupid - well then, maybe that's it and as a species we're just fucked - and maybe its about time too.

It's a slog to push forward again sometimes.

I’m now feeling more disheartened that it seems we cannot express our disappointment at men being centred on International Women’s Day.

Another vote here for the Hide button.

If you'd like something else to read here's an interesting article about the 'good girl double bind'.

''The Good Girl Double Bind describes the precarious ledge most women live on to be socially acceptable, teetering between “too much” and “not enough.”
It is a compression that has a detrimental effect on how we communicate.
A Good Girl doesn’t want to seem pushy or domineering, but she doesn’t want to seem helpless or pathetic, either. Contortions—verbal, physical, energetic—ensue.''
www.kasiaurbaniak.com/blog/britney-spears-and-the-good-girl-double-bind

I agree, I've been hiding lots of threads these past few days.

If they offered a new insight or point of view or even as PP have said look at funding and support for trans specific causes it would be interesting and worthwile getting involved, but they're just goady, self absorbed, pointless and entitled demanding of time and energy that none of us should feel dutybound to pander to.

You are not alone. I wish there was a way of actually finding like minded people in ‘real life’. I feel the need to ‘do something’. I just don’t know what, or where to start. And worry about the implications in my personal life, like in my job.

I understand. Am about to go on a bit of a "hide this thread" mission.